William b



Patented Nov. 14, 1882.

W. B. ELTONHBAD.

UUNDUT FOR UNDERGROUND LINES.

FU-g.l.

(Model.)

"mill/WM 5%/ WITNEssEs- E? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. ELTONHEAD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ED. Y. ELTONHEAD, OF SAME PLACE.

CONDUIT FOR UNDERGROUND LINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,469, dated November 14, 1882. Application filed December 29, 1881. (Model.)

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. ELTON- HEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing' in the city and county of Philadelphia, and

State ot' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduits for Underground Lines; and I do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable 1o others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of insulators adapted to be placed on or in the ground, and has for its object the economical and .safe

insulation of a number of Wires, and their protection from Water and accidental or intentional injury.

.Ihe nature of my invention consists in a trough formed in interlocking sections, pro- 2o vided with a lid, also formed in interlocking sections, and provided with projections adapted to engage in corresponding projections formed on or in the trough. The lid and trough are grooved and tongued in such manner as to z 5 exclude and turn off water, and to receive a packing, seal, or cement, to more effectual] y eX- clude Water, combined with a series of lon gitudinally-grooved tiles, each of which has hooked lugs or projections, which engage in and hold 3o on corresponding projections in the adjacent tiles. Said tiles, as assembled and combined with each other and with their inclosin g trough and cover, contain a series ot' parallel channels adapted to insulate and protect electrical Wires 3 5 or conductors, and maybe buriedin the ground or used as a curbing for sidewalks and road- Ways, or may be placed Within or back of the curbing of highways. The troughs, covers, and grooved plates are made of furnace-slag,

4o glass, artilcial stone, or any non-conducting` material, or of conducting material coated with non-conducting material.

I will now proceed to describe the Inode of making and using this invention, referring in 4 5 so doing to the drawings annexed, and letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 4, a transverse section Fig. 5, a detached view 5o of the cover; Fig. 6, a detached view of the trough; and Figs. 7, 8, and 9, respectively, views in section of the top, middle, and bottom insulating grooved tiles, drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. l0 shows the manner ot interlocking the ends of the tiles or grooved insulating-plates with each other.

The same letters of reference apply to the same parts in the several figures.

A is a trough, formed of furnace-slag, glass, artificial stone, cement, or other non-conduct- 6o ing material, or of conducting material coated or covered with a noirconducting substance.

A A are tongues or ridges formed on the upper edges of the trough A, having a groove, A5, in the upper edge, adapted to receive a packing or cement.

A2 are locking-grooves, formed across the bottom and in the sides of one end of each section ot' the trough A, adapted to receive corresponding locking-projections, A3, upon the 7o bottom and sides ot the contiguous end ofthe next section of trough A.

A6 are lugs or projections formed on. the inner side of the trough A for the purpose ol" holding the lid B down in a manner hereinafter explained.

B is a cover formed of similar material to the trough A, and provided with grooves B on its under side, adapted to t on the tongues or ridges A5 ofthe trough A. So

Bz are transverse projections on each section of the cover B, adapted to titinto a transverse groove, B', on the end ot' the next section of t'the cover B, and thus lock the several sections ofthe cover B together.

B3 are hooks or lugs formed on the under side ot' each section of the cover B, and, tting under the lugs A6 on the trough A, hold the cover B down on the trough A. The lugs B1 may be disengaged from the lugs AG by rais- 9o ing the farther end ot' the cover-section B and moving the cover lengthwise the distance of the length ofthe lugs AG.

Inside of the trough A, I place a series of grooved tiles, Oand C2, intothe parallel grooves O3 of Which the electrical conducting-wires C4 are placed. The tile G2 is placed at the bottom of the trough A, and has lianges at its edges(marked G5) adapted to engage in the corresponding flanges, CG, formed on the edges roo of the lower side of the grooved tiles C', and thus hold the tile C to the tile C2. Flan ges C5, formed on the edges of the upper side of the tile C', serve to hold another tile similar to it by the langcsGS, and, lastly, thetrough is filled by a covering-tile, C, having flanges Cfi engaging in the flanges G5 of the tile C below it. The several tiles C, G', and C2, are provided with transverse grooves O7 and projections C8, by the interlocking of which they are securely held in position, so that the grooves in them combine to form continuous insulating-channels, and by sliding` the several layers of tiles over each other, so as to break or cover7 joints7 both lateral, vertical, or torsional displacement becomes impossible. When the series ot' tiles is assembled liquid or plastic cements may be used to seal them and exclude water.

The troughs A may be used as curb for roadways, or it may be placed back ofa curb, as indicated by the dotted outline marked D, represcntingacurb in Fig. 4, or the entire trough and cover may be buried.

Having described my invention and the mode of making and using the same, what I claim isl. The grooved tile C', provided with locking-anges G5 and GG, adapted to engage with similar flanges on similar tiles placed either above or below it, and to form when assembled with such similar tiles continuous conduits for electrical conductors, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination of the trough A and cover B, formed in interlocking sections, and provided with the lugs B3 and AG, whereby the two may be securely locked together, with the interlocking grooved. tiles C', provided with angcs G5 and C6, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the grooved tile C, having the locking-flanges C5, the grooved tile O', having the locking-flanges C5 and C, and the grooved tile G2, havingthc lian ges QG, forming, when assembled, continuous insulating conduits for electrical conductors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Thecombination of an inclosing-trougl1,A, and cover B, respectively provided with lugs AG and B3, whereby the same may be securely locked together with the grooved tiles O, having the locking-ilanges O5, the grooved tile G, having` the locking-flanges C5 and CG, and the grooved tile (l2, havin g the grooved locking iianges C, forming, when assembled, a series of continuous insulating-conduits for electrical conductors protected from moisture and external violence, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof` I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVM. B. ELTONHEAD.

Witnesses:

F. O. M CGLEARY, A. W. BRIGHT. 

